The film focuses on an outbreak of a fictional Ebola-like virus called Motaba in Zaire and later in a small town in the United States. Its primary settings are government disease control centers USAMRIID and the CDC,
and the fictional town of Cedar Creek, California. Outbreak shows how
far the military and civilian agencies might go to contain the spread of
a deadly contagion.

The film was released on March 10, 1995 and proved a solid box office
success. The film was nominated for various awards but failed to garner
any major award nominations. It also raised various "what-if"
scenarios: media outlets began to question what the government would
really do in a similar situation and if the CDC has plans in case an
outbreak ever does occur. A real-life outbreak of the Ebola virus
occurred in Zaire only a few months after the film was released.